…but change is certain.

Guns and trucks

Listening to the news on the way home tonight I caught a snippet of someone, perhaps the governor of Connecticut, maybe someone else, talk about not backing away from an issue just because the other side talked longer or louder, about not giving up even though the task seems difficult, about standing by your convictions. The news was covering the President’s stop in Connecticut campaigning for some measure of gun control but talk like that actually helped to bolster my flagging hopes about truck issues.

The next Sorrow to Strength conference is coming up. During the first weekend in May many family members will be meeting again, talking again, learning again. Crying again. Before every conference I get wound up, sad, angry, even tired. And that’s before I even land at Regan National. In some ways I look forward to going; I love Washington DC, but I also dread the conference because it exposes some of the old feelings and frustrations that we all felt right after Dad was killed by a tired trucker.

Lately I’ve been thinking that the whole thing is just too complicated for me to understand, certainly too big for me to make any difference. Yes we won a huge victory last summer and some of what we’ve been working for has happened. But so much more is needing to be done. And the tentacles of the trucking industry are everywhere. Even when we think we’ve won a small battle we have to stay vigilant to make sure it is not undone or negatively influenced by people that want to increase profits by moving goods in larger and heavier trucks.

So hearing someone else supporting change that is difficult, change that is being fought by big money, change that is complicated – hearing someone talk about not giving up even in the face of great resistance helped me realize that my fight is worthwhile too. Giving up would be wrong. Giving up would let big money and big truck companies win. Giving up would mean people will continue to die and be injured. Of course continuing the fight doesn’t mean no one will ever be killed or injured…just that some people will be saved. And isn’t even one person’s life worth the effort?

Yes, yes it is.

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I'm a long time banker having worked in banks since the age of 17. I took a break when I turned 50 and went back to school. I graduated right when the economy took a turn for the worst and after a year of library work found myself unemployed. I was lucky that my previous bank employer wanted me back. So here I am again, a long time banker. Change is hard.

While your page was loading, I was trying to imagine how you would relate guns and trucks, and my thoughts immediately went to cowboys, then to the difference between the Wild West and busy, multi-lane highways. But yes, I do think our president’s resolve is a good example to the rest of us. Does your group have a specific goal you want to accomplish this year? Let the rest of us know, if we can be of any help. You are doing good work!

There is a small group of local people fighting to save a gorgeous old church from being demolished and replaced with a parking lot and grocery store. They’ve been fighting for a few years. I thought they were wasting their time, as it was a very powerful developer.

Boy, was I wrong! The developer has backed down, and is agreeing to keep the shell of the building, and work it into a grocery store design (Apparently this happens a lot in Europe).

I’ve been cheering for them, because who doesn’t want the little guy to win?

I’m cheering you on too! Especially since you’re not simply fighting to save a piece of history, but you’re looking to change the course of history and make our roads safer for everybody.